Can you hear me, mother?
15/06/89 (Mark Goodier & Simon Parkin)
Fuzzbox – “Pink Sunshine” (17)
Getting tonight's bellybutton-tastic show underway and the song peaked at number 14.
REM – “Orange Crush” (28)
One of the biggest bands of the 90's making their debut on the show but surprisingly the song went up no further.
Donna Allen – “Joy & Pain” (22)
Bouncing into the studio and the song peaked at number 10.
Bangles – “Be With You” (31) (breaker)
Peaked at number 23.
Clannad & Bono – “In A Lifetime” (30) (breaker)
Had peaked at number 20 in 1986, this time it made it to number 17.
Placido Domingo & Jennifer Rush – “Till I Loved You” (33) (breaker)
Peaked at number 24.
Double Trouble & Rebel MC – “Just Keep Rockin’” (16)
A livley studio performance and the tune went up five more places.
Cyndi Lauper – “I Drove All Night” (8) (video)
Accelerated up one more place.
Sinitta – “Right Back Where We Started From” (4)
A second studio outing for her fourth and final top ten hit which was now at its peak.
Jason Donovan – “Sealed With A Kiss” (1) (rpt from 08/06/89)
Second and final week at number one.
Tom Petty – “I Won’t Back Down” (29) (video/credits)
Quite some backing band he had here! Taken from his top ten album Full Moon Fever, this single was his biggest hit and it peaked at number 28.
22nd June is next.
Ah, Simon Parkin – very much the nearly man of CBBC, always standing in for the main presenters but never landing one of the top roles himself, subsequently fading into obscurity as a weatherman on ITV regional news. He does OK here in what would be the first of just two appearances, putting on a confident front but allowing the nerves to show occasionally. Mark is very slick by contrast, but he struggles to feel spontaneous and natural rather than tightly rehearsed.
ReplyDeleteI have no memory of Fuzzbox at all from the time, but they certainly racked up the TOTP appearances. Pretty much business as usual here, with plenty of hair shaking and the bass player adopting a stylish nautical look. A first appearance from REM next, now on the cusp of superstardom following years as cult favourites. This isn’t one of my favourites of theirs, but it is a good rousing tune nevertheless. The performance is a reminder that Michael Stipe did have hair once, though his antics with the megaphone quickly become annoying – I think we can safely assume young innocent Mr Parkin, on the basis of his outro, didn’t have the faintest clue that this song was actually about Agent Orange rather than a cooling summer drink!
Donna Allen is also in the studio, wearing an extraordinary outfit that is part-banker, part-prostitute. The song chugs along pleasantly enough, and her vocals are impressive, but it falls short of being truly memorable. More to come from all the breakers, so on to another performance from Double Trouble and Rebel MC, with plenty of lurid shirts on display and lashings of video effects to liven things up. Sinitta is also back with a huge hat and a very summery performance, with both Sin and her gang all dressed for the beach.
Tom Petty closes things out with a song I have always found a bit dull, despite Jeff Lynne’s production skills. Lynne is also in the starry video, alongside two Fabs and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, who bizarrely is wearing a Dennis the Menace and Gnasher t-shirt, despite being an American. It is somewhat ironic that Petty and the Heartbreakers actually broke through in Britain before they did at home, as later on they became massive in the States but rather faded from view over here.
At this time, although best known as a relief presenter for CBBC, Simon Parkin was a DJ of sorts for BBC GLR.
DeleteSinitta was just heavenly on this performance, largely by the colourful outfits and hat, and easily the best performance on the show, and it felt like being on a summer holiday with her, just watching her on TV.
DeleteThe lovely Sinitta is another one of those people born in the same year as me, along with Kylie Minogue, Patsy Kensit, and Vix from Fuzzbox. A galaxy of lovelies no less. Good Lord!
Sorry Dory but one suspects that 1968 might be Sinitta's showbusiness age. She certainly looks a little more than a tender 20 or 21 here.
DeleteYeah, Sinitta was in the Rocky Horror Picture Show sequel Shock Treatment in 1981 and certainly wasn't 12 or 13 years old there! Google lists her age as 56, born in 1963.
DeleteAlthough it bad manners to ask a lady's age.
Crikey, I thought you could always trust Wikipedia for this sort of information, but clearly not in some cases!
DeleteI watched this on my DVD+R way back in 2009 over ten years ago as how accurate UK Gold has never repeated this episode, first time BBC4 have repeated it with Simon Parkin, another TOTP debut, a presenter from kids' TV along with Mark Goodier.
ReplyDeleteHighlights include Fuzzbox (their second appearance of 'Pink Sunshine'), as with R.E.M's TOTP debut in the studio with 'Orange Crush', Sinitta yet again with choreographers, and Double Trouble & Rebel MC (again!), Mr Donovan's repeat performance for one last time with dancing Australian girls (as they could've have shown the video, but they had to show it part of the number one and number two's montage in the Xmas Day 1989 special in a little segment where he is at a campfire) and the play-out was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with 'I Won't Back Down', not one of their best interpretations, I prefered 'Don't Come Here Around No More' and it is ok-ish with the guitar instrumental solo at the start.
I didn't know that Jason Donovan' backing girls were Australian too. They look around 17 years old I would hazard a guess, and considering that Jason was still only 21 on that performance, it was certainly a perfect fit.
DeleteTom Petty's Don't Come Around Here No More was classic Tom Petty, prior to the Travelling Willburys days, and it has the famous video with Alice In Wonderland and The Mad Hatters Party, where Tom Petty played the villain role, and turned out to be one of the best videos of 1985, despite it not being a hit in the UK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8
Simon Parkin looked about 15...
ReplyDeleteREM - not a great fan of them, but Orange Crush one of their better tracks, although I don’t remember the drum solo-ey bit at the end...
Donna allen - joyless and painful
Breakers: bangles - don’t remember it, not as good as previous singles, but pleasant enough; Clannad with Bono - again dont remember, intense singing but boring tune; placido domingo and Jennifer rush - hat trick on not remembering it, very intense start then sort of wimped out...
Tom Petty - nice tune, but dull video (noticed Ringo on drums, but this looked Travelling Wilburys...)
Tom Petty had two other Willburys in the video, plus Ringo Starr, who must have filled in for Bob Dylan or the recently departed Roy Orbison, and as John G correctly mentions, it is Jeff Lynne on the video that had the most musical influence in the song.
DeleteIt seemed to be half Willburys and half Petty's Heatrbeakers on the video, as the Willburys seemed to have evolved into this sort of new mix-and-match, which I thought worked quite well on this video.
Simon Parkin's always larkin', as The Tribe of Toffs had it, and he was also notable (to me) for having my hairdo at the time.
ReplyDeleteFuzzbox with what I assume was their final appearance on the show, and they give it their all as usual. No idea why Vix is playing with a giant pin instead of a microphone, mind you. Given their mischievous demeanour, it could have gone worse.
REM make their debut with a dreadful array of barnets, and one of their most earnest "I want you to take me very seriously" tunes. I do prefer their quirkier ditties, but there's no doubt they had the cast iron melodies and a unique frontman in Mike. Guess it was hot in the studio, Simon?!
A radical update of his look by Freddie Parrot-Face Davies - oh, no, wait a minute, it's Donna Allen, covering the old Maze track and making a decent fist of it. It's just not a very vital-sounding record, and despite her energy on the stage, refuses to get out of third gear.
We see the Breakers again, and Double Trouble and pals are pretty much the same as before, so onto a reminder of a missing addition to the list of artists who have appeared naked in their videos with Cyndi Lauper. She always looked a bit silly to me, and being starkers doesn't sell the song any better, but I do prefer a woman singing this number because a man creeping into a bedroom to "make love to you" is a bit unsettling.
A change of outfit for Sinitta, but much as before, with the dancers if anything mugging even more. Pretty sure that guy's never played a saxamaphone in his puff.
Jason still at the top in his nan's curtains for a shirt, so pausing to note how grey Mark looks in that spotlight, onto Tom Petty with what is surprisingly his biggest UK hit, even though it barely made it into the Top 30. You think, surely American Girl was a success, but not really. Also odd to think he's been dead for a few years. Anyway, basically Travelling Wilburys time again, but no worse than some of their efforts.
Fuzzbox Appear On Top Of The Pops On The 17th August 1989 Edition For The Last Time Performing Their Single Self.
DeleteI'd forgotten about Self! Maybe because it was more serious. Thanks for the reminder.
DeleteFuzzbox was a great opener to the show, and those costumes we have got accustomed to by now, with Vix alternating between red and blue from one appearance to the next.
DeleteI'm making one of my occasional visits to this blog this week, as there's been plenty of top-quality material on the repeats recently (Edelweiss excluded).
ReplyDeleteFuzzbox - Birmingham's most entertaining band not to include Roy Wood - were aiming to be Britain's Bangles at this point in their career, with 'Walk Like An Egyptian' composer Liam Sternberg providing songwriting assistance. Both 'Pink Sunshine' and 'International Rescue' are among my guilty pleasures. Despite not being taken seriously by the press, there was some fine musicianship within the band. The current line-up, led by original members Vickie Perks and Maggie Dunne, continues to tour and record periodically.
The Bangles themselves followed their chart-topper with a driving, underrated offering co-written and sung by drummer Debbi Peterson - who appeared to be in her element after being relegated to backing vocals on 'Eternal Flame' (and tambourine on 'Walk Like An Egyptian'). Following The Bangles' split early in the ensuing decade, she would form the duo Kindred Spirit with a former resident of my home town: Siobhan Maher, formerly of River City People. This duo, however, would crumble amid legal disputes and financial difficulties.
With the might of Warner Bros behind them, REM finally made their debut on TOTP - though their earlier, much stronger offering '(Don't Go) Back To Rockville)' could and should have brought them fame half a decade earlier. Still, their years of global domination would deservedly follow, including the most misheard lyric in the history of the universe. Reality TV producers are ALWAYS calling Cheryl Baker!
'89 was also a vintage year for soul divas such as the two Donnas, Karyn White and - via the Bond franchise - Gladys Knight, who had made something of a comeback on the US R&B chart a year or so earlier. Sinitta hardly qualifies, however, with her tinny remake of Maxine Nightingale's '75 hit, itself derivative of The Javells' Northern soul classic 'Goodbye, Nothing To Say'.
Cyndi Lauper's smash would, rightly, make a second visit to the Top 10 via The Big O's posthumously released rendition, which was actually the first version to be waxed.
Finally, Charlie Jr stepped out in front of his fellow Wilburys with a song that would eventually reach No.1 in 2014 - after Sam Smith had made a few subconscious modifications.
It's time for me to get back to my knitting and my stockpile of magazines, novels and novelettes. Stay indoors as much as you can, and STAY SAFE!
You stay safe too, Julie, I echo your sentiments. My fave pre-hits REM track is Can't Get There from Here, a great little indiepop ditty.
DeleteTypo above: '(Don't Go) Back To Rockville'.
DeleteWatching the Breakers on this show with the great chemistry between Placido Domingo & Jennifer Rush, I must admit it totally passed me by at the time, as I don't remember this at all, but I was intrigued to watch the whole of this outstanding video, especially the end where he pulls the board across the screen to get some privacy with her as things get a bit racey:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZVMN4Naz00
They don't make music like this any more, and it just goes to show how enjoyable these BBC4 TOTP repeats are, as I would never have enjoyed these clips otherwise.
Andy Parkin, sponsored tonight by Robinsons orange cordial. Mark Goodier sponsored by the film “True Lies” for some of the piffle he comes out with on his worst showing thus far.
ReplyDeleteAnother fine outing by Fuzzbox. Don’t know about the giant pin but they nailed it again with this performance. Boom boom tish! Tina obviously wanted her drumkit further front.
Next up is the other big band from Athens, Georgia after the B-52s. Very early REM single “Radio Free Europe” was better than this. Michael Stipe channelling his inney Morrissey going barechested, and I bet his megaphone affectation was enough to cause this to drop down the chart. Follow-up single “Lemon Squash” out next month.
Will we get a hat-trick of colours in the song titles? Ah. Donna Allen looking like the sauciest Homepride Man ever, and enough to make Simon Parkin say “Nice hat” afterwards and nearly call her Donna Summer. Self-raising, sir?
I usually tire of live rock videos but I could tolerate the Bangles one. Nice frizzy hair look on the singing drummer.
A beautiful song next, Mark? We see nothing of Clannad in the vid and just get Bonio, bellowing like a wounded walrus. Surely the next breaker will be better.
Christ! My ears! Lucky old Jennifer, eh, Mark? If only you knew these days.
On a roll tonight, Goodiebags. I didn’t love that “Just Keep Rockin’“ row. Campbell tried to ram that opinion down my throat too while we’re at it. FF again – or should that be Double FF?
Nice Lauper pronunciation fact there, Simon. Oo, ‘ello, a nude Cyndi with tyre overlay! Roy Orbison didn’t do anything like that with his version.
The Javells, as mentioned by Julie Joanne, had a lead singer called Nosmo King (as in ‘no smoking’) who copied the stage name of an old music hall act. All I can say in relation to Sinitta’s unknowing smiley earring weak tea cover.
Nice understated jacket on Ringo. The outro song was okay but I never ‘got’ Tom Petty. Hopefully you won’t see that as a petty remark.
Yeah, what was that Simon was on about with the Lauper pronunciation? How are we supposed to pronounce it, then? I always go with "Law-per".
Deletei always thought the actor ed lauter's surname was pronounced "lout-er", but discovered in recent years it was "law-ter"!
DeleteBrilliant impressionist, Ed Lauter, though he never got the chance to show off that talent in his movies, where he was usually a baddie.
Deleterecent covid casualty eddie large was an excellent mimic in my opinion. a shame he didn't focus more on that a la mike yarwood, rather than his morecambe & wise-lite double act!
DeleteGoodier a very young Simon Parkin tonight.
ReplyDeleteWhat do we know about Mr Parkin?
He was on CBBC
He does my local weather
He's wearing his Dads jacket
He went to my Wife's school (a couple of years ahead)
So that's Crane and Parkin. How come Schofe never got this gig? He's presented everything else...and he had a R1 show as well...
Fuzzbox give us a perfect pink pop sunshine opening. Great stuff.
REM next. Michael you need to go on TOTP to grow your UK audience - "FINE...but I refuse to enjoy it and I'll act and dress weird"
“Orange Crush” is a real step up in quality. Stipe has hair! Love REM and so good to see them on the show.
Donna Allen back in the studio. 87 Parkin said - I do not recall that at all, even though it must have been a year or less for us. “Joy & Pain” is a pleasant number. Enjoyed it.
Breakers:
Bangles – Just has a massive number one so any old crap from the album will do... “Be With You” it is then.
Clannad & Bono – Tuneless Irish dirge and preachy vocals join forces thankfully just once “In A Lifetime"
Placido Domingo & Jennifer Rush – Opera at it's worst - two people, less than a foot away, shouting at each other. Awful. Turkey has arrived early for Xmas.
Double Trouble & Rebel MC – “Just Keep Rockin’”
Good performance and liked this better second time around. Still average though.
Cyndi Lauper – Great video, Great song.
Sinitta – “Right Back Where We Started From” in terms of performance. A perfectly decent pop song, don't mind this at all.
Some boy in a flowery shirt at Number One. Sorry was distracted by the ladies...
Tom Petty with a tune and a backing band straight out of 1974. Fair play though, “I Won’t Back Down” is a decent tune.
Yes indeed, Tom Petty and his hairy blokes backing group did seem to be about a generation behind the likes of clean cut, non-hairy Jason Donovan and his girlie backing singers in the studio, so in this edition we were seeing two genres of pop stars competing for chart positions. The recently launched Now 70 music video channel has a regular morning slot called Hairy Blokes and Kooky Girls, with rare early 70s colour videos like Knock Three Times by Dawn, a 1971 number one, as one of the regular items:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT5ms2Nvpco
REM - Not their best song, 'Stand' being a better tune from the same period yet mysteriously missing the Top 40 (twice!) despite being better known.
ReplyDeleteDonna Allen - All rather bland really, Maze's version was re-released at the same time but this one somehow did better. In fact there was a third version, by forgotten rap also-rans Black,Rock & Ron!
Tom Petty - It helps that I like Jeff Lynne productions, so I've always enjoyed this one.